Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical transmitting and/or receiving module and to methods for producing the module. In addition, the present invention relates to an optical waveguide plug which interacts with the module.
The present invention thus lies in the field of the production of optical or electro-optical assemblies or modules which usually have a plug receptacle for the connection and for the optical coupling of suitable coupling partners, for example optical waveguides. Other optical or electro-optical elementsxe2x80x94e.g. for purposes of direct electrical isolations to a further electro-optical modulexe2x80x94are also conceivable as coupling partners. In order to convert electrical signals into optical signals or to convert optical signals into electrical signals, such modules have electro-optical transducers having a light-radiating (transmitter) or light-sensitive (receiver) region. Such a light-radiating or light-sensitive region is also referred to as optically active zone in the context of the present invention. The electro-optical transducer is mounted on a section of a lead frame which, on this section, is surrounded by a moulded body made of a transparent potting compound. The potting compound is enclosed by a module housing having a housing opening for the passage of an optical transmitting or receiving radiation beam.
A high coupling efficiency when feeding optical signals into or out of optical waveguides requires not only the electro-optical transformation of the signals, but also a precise coupling of the signal-exporting and/or signal-feeding optical waveguides (coupling partners). Light-emitting diodes (LED) or horizontally radiating laser diodes, for example, are used as transmitters in optical transmission technology. In a manner governed by their design, these diodes often have a large numerical aperture, which requires lenses to be used in order to achieve optical coupling with a high efficiency.
Published German Patent Application DE 197 11 138 Al discloses an optical transmitting and/or receiving module in which a carrier, such as a lead frame on which an electro-optical transducer is mounted, is surrounded by a mouldable material formed as a moulded body. The moulded body has a functional area, for example, a lens or a stop area, serving for optical coupling.
Furthermore, such optical transmitting and/or receiving modules are also known whose production involves using a casting mould that determines the form and size of the moulded body. After the casting or injection-moulding operation during which the transparent, mouldable material is introduced into the casting mould, the casting mould is retained as a module housing. A plug receptacle part for coupling an optical waveguide plug is then moulded onto this housing at the light entry or exit side. Such a module housing is also known as a cavity as interface (CAI).
In the case of the CAI modules known heretofore, it is disadvantageous with regard to the plug receptacle that plugs having unprotected protruding optical end areas of the optical waveguide have to be used for the connection to optical waveguides. These optical waveguide plugs are therefore usually modified to the effect that the optical end areas of the optical waveguide are protected by a relatively complicated flap mechanism. However, the use of these or other optical waveguide plugs on account of the plug receptacle provided on the module is also additionally impaired by the so-called Kojiri effect or snag effect, which denotes the unintentional damaging of an optical waveguide plug on account of the action of force during the plugging operation (including when carried out improperly). The measures taken to combat this, such as, providing latching mechanisms, providing coding against incorrect plugging, providing ribs on the plug/housing, and setting-back the contacts in the plug housing, are also complex and cannot be reconciled with the requirement for simply and cost-effectively producing an optical waveguide plug.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an optical transmitting and/or receiving module and a method for producing the module which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art apparatus and methods of this general type.
In addition, it is an object of the invention to simply and cost effectively produce an optical waveguide plug that can be coupled to the optical module. The optical waveguide of the optical waveguide plug has no unprotected protruding optical end areas.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an optical module, including: a lead frame having an end section; an electro-optical transducer mounted on the end section of the lead frame; and a module housing formed with an outer housing wall, an inner cavity defining sides, a first housing opening leading to the cavity, and a second housing opening leading to the cavity. The end section of the lead frame projects through the first housing opening. The second housing opening is for the passage of an optical radiation beam that can be an optical transmitting radiation beam from the electo-optical transducer or a received radiation beam by the electo-optical transducer. The optical module also includes: a plug receptacle part extending outwards near the second housing opening, the plug receptacle part being configured on the outer housing wall; a transparent potting compound; and an optical waveguide piece being optically coupled to the electro-optical transducer. The module housing is moulded in one piece and encloses the cavity on all of the sides of the cavity. The cavity is completely filled with the transparent potting compound. The plug receptacle part has only one edge section fixed to the housing. The edge section runs around the second housing opening and lies in a common plane with the second housing opening. The plug receptacle part is formed with an interior and an outer end area. The optical waveguide piece extends, from the outer end area of the plug receptacle part, through the interior of the plug receptacle part and through the second housing opening into the interior of the module housing.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the plug receptacle part is not formed in one piece with the module housing.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the plug receptable part forms a sleeve-like extension moulded in one piece with the module housing.
Such an optical transmitting and/or receiving module allows for the construction of a relatively simple optical waveguide plug which, unlike the optical waveguide plugs used in the prior art, has an optical waveguide with an internal optical end area that can be fixed relatively simply on the plug receptacle part of the module, and that moreover, can be produced relatively simply and cost-effectively.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an optical waveguide plug including: a sleeve-shaped plug section having an inner contour corresponding to the outer contour of the plug receptacle part of the optical module; and an optical waveguide having an end area being optically coupled to the plug-side end area of the optical waveguide piece when in a plugged-together state.
The transmitting and/or receiving module furthermore allows an embodiment which will be described in detail further below and in which the transducer-side end area of the optical waveguide piece is arranged at a short distance in front of the transmitting or receiving area of the electro-optical transducer, so that a converging lens can be dispensed with. However, the invention is not restricted to this embodiment since all that actually matters is an optical coupling. Consequently, it is also possible to provide a larger spatial distance, for example when a reflector element is also provided between the electro-optical transducer and the optical waveguide piece.
Two different method variants are conceivable to produce an optical transmitting and/or receiving module.
A first type of embodiment of a method for producing an optical transmitting and/or receiving module consists in the fact that:
a) an optical waveguide piece is inserted into a housing opening of a module housing in such a way that it projects into the interior of the housing and projects from the housing by predetermined lengths in each case;
b) a plug receptacle part is moulded in such a way that a moulded part with a defined outer contour is moulded onto the outer housing wall and around that part of the optical waveguide piece which projects from the module housing;
c) a lead frame, on which an electro-optical transducer is mounted, is introduced into the interior of the module housing and the electro-optical transducer is positioned in such a way that it is optically coupled to the transducer-side end of the optical waveguide piece; and
d) the interior of the module housing is filled with a transparent potting compound.
A second type of embodiment of a method for producing an optical transmitting and/or receiving module consists in the fact that:
a) a housing opening is moulded into a module housing and an extension projecting outwards in a tubular or sleeve-shaped manner with a defined internal diameter is moulded onto the opening edge of the housing opening;
b) a closure moulded piece is formed in such a way that a section of a length of an optical waveguide piece is surrounded by an annular moulded-on portion and the closure moulded piece has, on this section, an external diameter which is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the extension;
c) the closure moulded piece is introduced with the uncovered section of the optical waveguide piece at the front into the sleeve-shaped extension and the housing opening and is fixed in a position in which the optical waveguide piece projects into the interior of the module housing;
d) a lead frame, on which an electro-optical transducer is mounted, is introduced into the interior of the module housing and the electro-optical transducer is positioned in such a way that it is optically coupled to the transducer-side end of the optical waveguide piece; and
e) the interior of the module housing is filled with a transparent potting compound.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an optical transmitting/receiving module including an internal optical waveguide, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.